PhD in Management Science, Information Systems Concentration

This program is designed for students who seek training in advanced theoretical and applied issues in the field of information systems. The training prepares students for conducting leading-edge research in topics ranging from the design of optimized systems to the effective use of such systems in organizations. Students undergo rigorous training in research methodologies, as well as in the design of information systems. The research conducted is often interdisciplinary in nature and is characterized by strong analytical or econometric modeling of new and emerging issues in information technology management and creation. The program prepares students mainly for academic positions in research universities; some students may be placed in research positions in industry, government or consulting organizations.

The PhD in Information Systems program is characterized by a high ratio of research faculty to students, which fosters close working relationships. Students have the opportunity to be involved in ongoing faculty research projects under the mentorship of experienced professors. The close interaction with faculty enables students to quickly learn to identify and develop research ideas and create their own research agenda. Students also develop their teaching skills under faculty mentorship by teaching organized classes.

Successful candidates must possess a strong aptitude for abstract thinking and quantitative analysis to address relevant business problems. Students admitted into the PhD in Information Systems program devote the first few years to coursework and research projects, preparing for the qualifying examinations and developing their preliminary dissertation proposal. The next one to two years are devoted to dissertation research and writing. Students must complete at least 75 semester hours of approved graduate work before a degree may be conferred. Credit may be granted for courses taken elsewhere.

Program Contact

The Information Systems Doctoral program at the Naveen Jindal School of Management offers an outstanding opportunity for research in the Information Systems discipline. Our faculty’s research productivity usually ranks at the top in the world. More importantly, we work at the forefront of a variety of research topics and methodologies. Come join us to make this program even stronger!

With analytical depth and methodology, drawing from disciplines such as economics, operations research and econometrics, their research is both prevalent and employed in today’s rapidly changing technological world.

The UT Dallas Top 100 Worldwide Rankings of Business Schools based on Research Contributions in Information Systems Research, Journal on Computing, MIS Quarterly, 2012– 2016.

Top 10 Business Schools Worldwide Based on Research Contributions

Rank

University

Articles

Score

Country

1

University of Texas at Dallas (Naveen Jindal School of Management)

39

20.77

USA

2

City University of Hong Kong (College of Business)

37

15.42

China

3

University of Maryland at College Park (Robert H. Smith School of Business)

33

13.40

USA

4

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (Sam M. Walton College of Business)

25

12.90

USA

5

Temple University (The Fox School of Business and Management)

29

12.40

USA

6

Georgia State University (J. Mack Robinson School of Business)

29

12.04

USA

7

Georgia Institute of Technology (Scheller College of Business)

26

11.03

USA

8

University of Minnesota at Twin Cities (Carlson School of Management)

29

10.87

USA

9

University of Connecticut (School of Business)

21

10.48

USA

10

New York University (Leonard N. Stern School of Business)

22

8.99

USA

11

Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper School of Business)

19

8.79

USA

12

University of Texas at Austin (McCombs School of Business)

18

7.73

USA

13

University of British Columbia (Sauder School of Business)

15

7.43

Canada

14

University of Georgia (Terry College of Business)

17

7.21

USA

15

McGill University (Desautels Faculty of Management)

16

6.98

Canada

Selected Placements

Advanced and rigorous coursework, methodology and design, and significant placement on student research are the hallmarks of the Information Systems program.

The Information Systems program is characterized by a high ratio of research faculty to students which fosters close collaboration. Students have the opportunity to be involved in ongoing research projects under the mentorship of renown, distinguished faculty.

The program is designed for students to develop a strong aptitude for abstract thinking and quantitative analysis to address relevant business problems for their careers in academia or industry.

As shown in the table below, our Information Systems students have obtained top academic and industry appointments.

Students Placements

Name

Initial Placement

Current Placement

Dengpan Liu

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Iowa State University

Hasan Cavusoglu

The University of British Columbia

Huseyin Cavusoglu

Tulane University

University of Texas at Dallas

Krishnamurthy Jayanth

Blockbuster, Inc.

Facebook Inc.

Monica Surinder Johar

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Samit Soni

Vanderbilt University

Oliver Wyman

Wael Jabr

University of Calgary

Georgia State University

Yonghua Ji

University of Alberta

Young Kwark

University of Florida

Zhengrui Jiang

University of North Alabama

Iowa State University

Student Publications

The close interaction with faculty enables students to quickly learn to identify and develop research ideas and create their own research agenda. Students also develop their teaching skills under faculty mentorship by teaching organized classes.

Admission Procedures

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree. Admission is based on grade point average, graduate examination test score (GMAT* or GRE), letters of reference (at least three, with two from academic references), business and professional experience (if applicable), a written statement of personal objectives and compatibility with faculty research activities. Since the School of Management starts making first-round admission decisions on January 6th, it is best to complete the entire application process no later than January 5th. While applications will be accepted after that date, applying after January 5th may significantly lower your chance of acceptance. Applications for admission can be made using the UT Dallas Graduate Application website.

* UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management prefers the GMAT admission test, however, we gladly accept the GRE test as well.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites

Calculus, matrix algebra, computer programming and statistics are prerequisites for the doctoral program – every admitted student is responsible for ensuring he/she has satisfied these prerequisite requirements before joining the program.

Master’s–Level Courses

Students entering the program without an MBA or equivalent must complete a minimum of four courses in at least three areas typically required of MBA students to provide them with the knowledge required to be professional managers. In certain instances, a higher-level course may be substituted for an MBA-level course.

Research Methods Core

The Management Science PhD core curriculum consists of a minimum of 9 courses.

Minor

Required courses in Information Systems

Students are required to take a sequence of specific courses. Students should consult with faculty members in their respective areas to decide on the sequence of courses.

Seminars and Special Topics

Twelve hours of special topics and seminars in the information systems area.

Research Papers

Students are required to write original research papers in both their first and second summers. The second year paper is presented in a seminar attended by faculty and other students, and must be judged to be passing by the faculty before the student can advance to candidacy.

Written Preliminary and Qualifying Examinations

PhD in Information Systems students take a written preliminary exam at the end of their first year in the program over a set of core methodology courses (MECO 6315 Statistics, MECO 6345 Advanced Managerial Economics, MECO 6350 Game Theory, OPRE 7353 Optimization). At the end of their fifth semester in the program, students take a qualifying exam (consisting of two parts: a written exam that tests their knowledge of information systems theory and applications, and a completed research paper).

PhD students must successfully complete the preliminary and qualifying examinations, respectively, to enter PhD candidacy. The area faculty will determine whether a student has successfully completed the exam requirements based on the student’s performance. Criteria to evaluate students may include results from the in-class written portion of the exams, quality of research papers and/or presentations, performance in special courses (e.g. seminar courses), satisfactory GPA as determined by area faculty, and other forms of assessment as required by the student’s area. An unsatisfactory performance in any one criteria for either the preliminary examination or the qualifying examination may result in dismissal from the program.

Dissertation

Once the student has passed qualifying exam and paper requirements, work on the dissertation can commence. The dissertation is written under the direction of the dissertation committee. Twelve to 24 semester hours may be granted for the dissertation toward the minimum 75-hour requirement for the degree. At a time mutually agreeable to the candidate and the dissertation committee, the candidate must orally defend the dissertation to the committee.

Dissertation Proposal Defense

The Dissertation Proposal must be successfully defended at least one semester prior to the term of graduation. The requirements for the proposal defense should be discussed with the dissertation committee prior to scheduling the defense. Dissertation Proposal Defenses will be open to all faculty and PhD students of the Jindal School of Management.